Violin e string adjuster



G. ULVlCK VIOLIN E STRING ADJUSTER Filed Jan. 3, 1949 Patenta& Jan. 30, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VIOLIN E STRING ADJUSTER George Ulvick, Minneapolis, Minn.

Application January 3, 1949, Serial No. 68,869

1 .l My invention relates to an improvement in violin E string adjuster and deals particularly' with a means of changing the tension upon the E string of a violin.

For many years it has been common practice to provide a means of producing a fine adjustment of the tension of a violin E string. This string is held at a greater tension than the remaining strings and as a result a slight variation in tension tends to change the tuning of the string to a greater extent than the remaining strings. certain of such adjusting means are clumsy to use and tend to mar the violin. Some such devices have a tendency to tilt the tail piece of the violin so that the adjuster engages against the body of the violin and mars the Wood at this point. The present device is designed to eliminate these previous difiiculties.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a violin E string adjuster which is easy to apply and which may be attached in a minimum of time. The E string is ordinarily provided with an anchoring loop at one end by means of which the end of the string is attached to the tail piece. My adjuster is so designed that the tension of the string holds the adjuster in place upon the tail piece, thereby avoiding the necessity of anchoring bolts or similar attaching means. As a result my adjuster can be applied more quickly and easily than other devices designed to accomplish a similar purpose and without the use of bolts or clamping nuts which are rather unsightly and awkward in appearance.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of an E string adjuster which tends to direct the pull upon the string at substantially the same angle to the tail piece as the pull upon the other strings. In usual practice three of the strings extend over a transverse rib on the tail pieceand extend downwardly through openings in the tail piece, knots or other enlargements on the ends of the strings anchoring the strings in place. E strings are usually provided with loops or cross members at their ends which simplify the 'attachment to E string adjusters of various types. Some E string adjusters have been produced which create a tension upon the tail piece which is exerted at a substantially different angle from the tension exerted by the other strings. As a result the tail piece tends to twist in actual practice thus causing a variation in the tension of the other strings and tending to urge one side edge of the tail piece toward the violin body. such difficulties are obviated by my construction.

.In the following description and claims I refer 9 Claims. (Cl. 234-302) to my device as an E string adjuster, as such devices are most commonly used on violin E strings. Obviously, however, my device is designed for use on any of the strings of the violin or other instrument, and need not be limited in its use.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the device is extremely simple to manufacture and market. My device comprises only three parts, one of which is a stamping and the others of which comprises a threaded element and a cooperable internally threaded element.

An additional feature of the present invention' lies in the fact that the adjuster is held in place partially by the transverse rib usually found on the tail pieces of violins and over which the other strings extend. This ridge tends to hold the body of the adjuster from slippage in use which would change the tension of the E string.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the provision of an adjuster which overlies the upper surface of the tail piece and which is held in position by the loop end of the E string which extends through the E string opening in the tail piece from the bottom side thereof. A projecting end on the adjuster body projects be yond the tail piece and extends above the level of the same. Adjusting means extending through this projecting end tend to defiect the string upwardly so that the string assumes substantially the same angle it would assume if the string passed over the ridge near the forward edge of the tail piece. With this construction only a small portion of the device extends below the string, thereby making it virtually impossible for the adjusting device to contact the upper surface of the violin body.

These and other cbjects and novel features of my invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a violin and tail piece showing my E string adjuster in place thereon.

Figura 2 is a perspective view of the adjuster removed from the violin.

Figure 3 is a sectional View through the tail piece of the violin showing the manner in which the string holds the adjuster in place.

Figure 4 is a sectional View through the adjuster showing the shape of the string deflecting apparatus.

Figure 5 is a side elevational View of a modified form of construction.

Figure 6 is an end View of the adjuster body.

The violin A is not illustrated in detail, as the shape and construction of the Violin forms no part of the present invention. The violin includes a body I a to which is Secured a tail piece l l which is designed to support one end of the violin strings. The tail piece H is usually supported by a cord or other exible connection so that the angle of the tail piece relative to the violin body may be adjustable. A bridge [2 rests upon the body of the violin and the various strings extend over the bridge and over the nger board to be deected by the nut into the peg box for adjustment by the various pegs. The portion of the body of the violin on which the bridge rests forms the sound box over which the strings are stretched.

The G string !3, the D string |4 and the A string i 5 are usually provided with knots or other enlargements on their extremities. The ends of the strings extend through spaced apertures 16, IT and is respectively, transversely spaced along the tal piece H. These apertures are provided with forwardly extending slots 2%, 2 l, and 22, respectively, into which the strings are drawn by tension, and the knots or projections on the ends of the strings being unable to pass through these slots, anchor the strings in place. The E string 23 is usually provided with a looped end 24 and is ordinarily anchored to the tail piece by some type of string adjusting means. This adjusting means is usually bolted to the tail piece through the E string aperture 28 in the tail piece.

In order that the major portions of the string be spac-.ed from the tail piece a transversely ex tending rib 25 extends across the tail piece near the fort` ard end. The Gr string, D string, and A string are drawn over this rib 25 as tension is placed thereupon` As will be later described the rib 25 also serves to help position the adjuster B.

The adjuster B includes an elongated strip of metal or other suitable material having a flat portion 26 designed to rest fiush against the surface of the tail piece rearwardly of the rib 25.

A relatively narrow extension 21 on the frame portion extends over the E string aperture 28, completely bridging this aperture. The extension 2? is sufiiciently narrow to accommodate the looped end 24 of the E string 23.

The adjuster B is provided with an oi-set por tion 29 connected to the fiat portion 25 by the angularly extending connection 30. The oli-set portion is connected by a second angularly extending connection 3! with a downwardly rounded portion 32 which is substantially flush with the fiat portion 25. The off-set portion 23, together with the angularly extending connec tions 30 and 31 forms an inverted channel designed to extend over the rib 25 and to form a bridge over this rib which holds the adjuster from longitudinal movement relative to the tail piece. Thus while the adjuster may be maintained in position even though the rib 25 is not provided, the channel shaped portion serves to properly position the adjuster when a rib 25 is provided on the tail piece. r

As noted in Figur-e 6 of the drawings the body is twisted intermediate its ends. Thus while the portion of the body engaging the tail piece rests fiat against the tail piece, the projecting end is twisted to be more closely parallel to the surface of the violin. The string is accordingly deflected more nearly directly toward or away from the violin surface.

The adjuster B includes a forwardly and upwardly inclined portion 33 connected to the downwardly rounded portion 32. The angle of inclination of the projecting portion 33 may be varied, but it is desirable to form the strip 33 at such an angle that the E string when adjusted extends toward the upper portion of the rib 25 as it extends toward the adjuster from the bridge l2.

An aperture 34 is provided centrally of the projecting portion 33 to accommodate the threaded shank 35 of the deflecting apparatus. The shank 35 is preferably provided with an enlarged diam eter lower end 36 having an inclined slot 3T therein. This slot 37 is designed to accommodate the E string 23 and to hold the E string in such a position that it normally intersects the axis of the shank 35.

An adjusting nut 39 is provided with a relatively large diameter finger engaging head 40 and a coaxial integral internally threaded sleeve 4I. The internally threaded sleeve 4! accommodates the externally threaded shank 35 so that rotation of the nut 39 moves the shani: 35 longitudinally of its axis, thus moving the slotted end 38 toward or away from the projecting end 33 of the adjuster.

When the E string is tightened the string extends through the slot 3 of the deecting device and may be substantially straight from the bridge !2 to the undersurface of the tail piece l i, or may be defiected upwardly someWhat as indicated in Figure 3. If the string 23 is substantially straight the string is tuned so that it is slightly below proper pitch and the nut 33 is then operated to draw the slotted shank end 35 toward the projecting end 33 until the string has the proper pitch. When the string is defiected by the adjuster as illustrated in Figure 3, the pitch may be slightly changed by either tightening or loosen ing the nut 39 so as to raise or lower the pitch of the string.

In attaching the adjuster B to the tail piece II, it is only necessary to insert the looped end 24 of the E string 23 upwardly or to insert the unlooped end of the string 23 downwardly through the E string aperture 28 and to slide the narrow end 21 of the adjuster body through the loop until the off-set portion 29 overlies the rib 24. The E string is then extended through the slot 31 over the bridge !2 and Secured to its adjusting peg. When the string is tightened by rotation of its eg, the adjuster is securely held to the tail piece and the greater the tension upon the string, the greater will be the force tending to hold the adjuster in place.

If desired the shanks 35 and 3'5 may be magnetized so that in the event the E string should break in use, the adjacent portion of the string will remain engaged in the slot 37. such strings, however, seldom break in use. By magnetizng the shank 35, 35, the adjuster will remain in place upon the tail piece even though no tension is provided upon the string.

In Figure 5 of the drawings I disclose a modified form of Construction which includes an adjuster body identical to that previously described.

the enlarged diameter finger engaging portion 43 as well as through. the internally threaded sleeve 44. This arrangement is somewhat less attractive to the eye than the nut 39.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of Construction and operation of my violin E string adjuster, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodimente thereoi, 1 desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the followin claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. An E string adjuster for violins including an elongated body designed to overlie the tail piece of a Violin, a portion of said body extending over an aperture in the tail piece, a loop on the E string extending through said aperture and about said body to hold said body against the tail piece, and means at the opposite end of said body for engaging the E string and defiecting the same.

2. An E string adjuster for violins having a tail piece provided with string receiving apertures therein, the adjuster including a body extending longitudinaily of the tail piece and projecting beyond an end thereof, the end of said body opposite said projecting end extending over an aperture in the tail piece, a looped end on the E string extending through said aperture and about said opposite end of said body, and. means on the projecting end of said body for deecting the E string.

3. The structure described in claim 2 in which the last named means comprises adjustable means for puliing the E string toward the projecting end of said body.

4. The structure described in claim 2 in which the iast named means comprises a threaded shank designed to engage said E string, said shank extending through said projecting end of said body, and means on said shank for adjusting the position thereof toward or away from said projecting end. v

5. The structure described in claim 2 and including an off-set portion intermediate the ends of the body for spacing an intermediate portion of the body from the tail piece.

6. An E string adjuster for violins having a tail piece provided with laterally spaced string receiving apertures and a transverse rib between said apertures and an end of the tail piece, the adjuster including an elongated body designed to overlie the tail piece and project from said end thereof, said body having the opposite end designed to bridge one of said apertures and to acconmodate the looped end of a string, and a string defiecting element supported by the projecting end of said body including a string engaging end, and means for adjusting the length of said defiector.

'7. The structure described in claim 6 in which the defiector includes a threaded element extending through the projecting end of the body, and means on said threaded element for adjusting the length thereof.

8. The structure described in claim 6 and including an off-set center portion in said body designed to bridge over said transverse rib.

9. An E string adjuster for violins including an eiongated body designed to overlie the tail piece of a violin, a portion of said body extending over an aperture in the tail piece, a portion of the string underiying the tail piece and extending upwardiy through said aperture, means for anchoring the string to said body, and means at the opposite end of said body for engaging said string and deecting the same.

GEORGE ULV'ICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,657,890 Mertes Jan. 31, 1928 &001861 Hoyt July 9, 1935 2,232A58 Hubbard Feb. 18, 1941 FOREGN PATENTS Number Country Date %3,644 Great Britain Dec. 3, 1925 

